Paige McPheeWhen summer comes around, a nature thought in the average Canadian’s head is most likely camping. Spending time with friends and family in the great outdoors is a beautiful way to enjoy our short summer season, preferably under the stars and next to a lake. Some people however, prefer king-sized beds to arching tents, indoor plumbing to creek-side showers, and fresh food delivery instead of fishing. To these, lovers of the finer things, I highly recommend glamping.
Glamping, more commonly defined as glamorous camping, contains all the comforts of home while experiencing nature and wildlife. Glamping campsites and resorts have popped up in years past, making it a very real and very fun travel destination. One I would whole-heartedly recommend is Whispering Springs in Colbourne, Ontario, a mere 90-minute drive outside of downtown Toronto’s core.
Incredibly secluded, Whispering Springs Wilderness Retreat sits on a back road a 10-minute drive from town. Driving through the grounds we passed several luxe, canvas safari tents, lined with fresh green grass. We checked in at ‘The Watering Hole’, the retreat’s reception areas, as well as a bar where guests can sit out for patio drinks and seasonal bites. We were greeted warmly by the owner, Jenna, who handed us a map to our tent. Jenna listed several of the resorts amenities, from the salt water pool and hot tub, to the communal fire pit. She pointed out the paddle boats and canoes available for use and mentioned several hiking trails on the property.
Eagerly, my boyfriend and I made our way to our tent – Firefly. The tent had a deck with a small patio set, where we envisioned having our breakfasts, as well as a small gas-range barbecue. From our room, we could easily see the retreat’s lush fields as well as two grazing horses. The inside of the tent was even more beautiful than out, furnished with a queen sized bed, two leather chairs, a mini fridge, a Tassimo machine, full-bathroom, furnace and claw-foot tub. Artificial candles flickered warm flames across atop end-tables and tree-stump stools. The bed-frame itself was fashioned from logs with a fine-mosquito net to act as the canopy.
While Whispering Springs does offer a dinner basket for two with beef tenderloin, seasonal vegetables, a fresh salad, baguette, dessert and local Prince Edward County wine, my boyfriend and I opted to fire up our own grill to cook some sausages we picked up from a store in town.
In the morning, we woke to soft sun lighting up the tent. Shadows of trees cast patterns on our walls that rivalled any stencil. When I unzipped the tent to let in some fresh air, I found a basket on the porch with a small card that read, “Rise and Shine.” The resort’s complimentary breakfast included two croissants with jam and butter, a container of sweet vanilla yogurt, mixed berries, granola, as well as jugs of fresh milk and orange juice. We made two English Breakfast teas, slipped into our robs and ate breakfast in bed until checkout.
Even after we checked out of our room, we were still able to enjoy the resorts facilities. We took a canoe out onto the resorts large pond, took a hike around the perimeter of the retreat and even played an impromptu game of badminton on the courts on-site. After a couple of games, we were both dewy with sweat and ready to call it a day. Driving back to Toronto, my only regret was that we didn’t spend another night at tucked into our safari tent at Whispering Springs. We will definitely be back to explore another room! If you’re interested in spending a night in paradise, check out Whispering Spring’s website here.